I was born in Aston in 1948, at 7/97 summer lane, we lived in a two bedroom
house, with an attic, living room and a kitchen. The kitchen seemed to go for
ever to me, but looking back now it was a very small house with a large kitchen.
I remember we had no electricity only gas mantles and a coal fires for heat,
with the glow from them at night used to make the house feel so warm in the bad
weather we used to have in those days. we had no bathroom all we had was a old
tin bath, which we filled with hot water from the copper boiler, the bath was
also used to wash the clothes in, every Monday was wash day

I recall mom doing her washing with her maid and tub. then she had to carry the
hot washing into the yard to the mangle(my best horse ever)I used to sit there
helping mom, she would put the clothes into the mangle and I would turn the
handle, I think mom gave up on me helping her as I often caught her fingers in
the mangle.

At the bottom of our yard was our outside toilet, this was a grand adventure at
night time going out there with a candle for light to see the way, the toilet
paper was sheets of little squares hung on a nail, when it was bed time we had a
bucket with a lid to use, every morning it was taken out emptied and washed out
ready for the next night. The best thing I loved about our toilet was we didn't
have to share it with the neighbours not like the house, we shared the house
with cockroaches, silverfish, mice and black bats. These were my very first play
mates, and they kept me amused for ages.

At about 3 or 4 years old I remember going down new town row shopping with my mom
and most of the time my nanny Barnes, who used to spoil me so much, she used to
take me into the House That Jack Built ,(a bit like our Woolworth's) I remember
her paying 1/6d for a pair of black plimsolls and a grey pair of ankle socks, of
which you can still buy today but not at those prices, also does anyone remember
the old baseball sneekers,they were well wicked in my day. the main thing I
remember about this shop was no tills. You handed your money to the lady over
the counter she would then put it into a tin and pull a string and off it would
shoot, then the tin came back with your change and receipt, the mystery of those
tins availed me for weeks until I asked me Nan who explained everything to me.

My Nan and I would leave the shop then cross the horse road and go into the new
town market, which was made up of corrugated sheets of metal, the things we used
to get from there, cars, comics, cap guns.... You name it you got it there.
Before leaving for home we go into a café in there I would have a glass of pop
and a piece of dripping cake or bread pudding (which I still eat) best days out
ever with my Nan.

As I was growing up times were passing by and it was soon time for me to go to
school, I went to Elkington Street Junior and Infants School. I made a friend
there Keith Dolphin we were close friends but I couldn't wait until home time as
I missed all my friends I grew up with as they went to a different school than
me. We used to talk a lot about our time in school but we couldn't wait until
the weekend when we were allowed to play out longer. We played cowboys - myself,
Colin Baines, Paul Mukalow, Tommy Ross, Alfie Smith, Roy Small. We were the
posse and Tommy (ding dong)Bell was Billy the kid the outlaw. We captured him
and took him down Pails Yard to his moms brew house, that was the court and
jail. Colin who made himself judge(he was the biggest) found him guilty of
breaking the law, so we handcuffed his hands behind his back stood him on a
chair put a rope around his neck, threw it over the beam tied it to the bars and
kicked the chair from under him and rode off. Llittle did we know he was hanging
for real) as we rode away feeling great in ourselves.

Tommys mom came out of her house as she seen us go by but not seeing her son with
us she went to check on were he might be she opened the door of the brew house
and there was poor Tommy hanging like a good one, to cut a long story short
Tommy was taken into hospital and we were taken of to the police station at
Bridge Street West, (we all thought we were in for a hanging). Luckily Tommy
survived his ordeal thanks to his mother. TOMMY SORRY MATE we were only kids
having loads of fun

As time went by we were still good mates and still played together in the
street, I recall me and Colin getting swizzles and frying them in batter and
selling them to the kids, but if we had no swizzles we used maggots from Colin's
dads tackle shop. on growing up we ventured into pellet guns ,(don't worry we
never shot anyone)we tried to shoot the cats as moving targets but they were a
bit to quick for us, the other amusing thing we used to do was collect dogs pooh
place it on some newspaper put on someone's doorstep set fire to it and then
knock the door and run up the entry way. We would hide there and watch the
owners come out to the door and stamp on it to put the fire out. That was good
harmless fun of kids in my days amusing themselves.

Every Saturday we used to go New Town Palace Picture House (the flea pit) to
watch Batman, Spiderman, Rocketman, Hopalong Cassidy, and of course cartoons,
(shame they still don't do it)

As for the shops, I remember visiting often which were local to were we lived in
Aston are T and V measly the locals called it. Violets fruit and veg, then
the infamous Baines fishing tackle shop and the best shop of all were dad used
to take me was the penny pie shop on the corner of Summer Lane and New John
Street. The news agents was there.

Then there was Allen's fish and chip shop. Dad and I used to go there with a jug
and basin for some faggots and peas (today's faggots are nothing like these).
There was a little shop, I cant remember the name it, used to sell ginger beer
and root beer I used to take dads empties back and get money back on the bottle
on which I would spend on sweets.

I sometimes think about Aston mom dad and my friends how we grew up together so
happy not a care in the world, but to think how we lived in those days is so
different to today, all the central heating electricity baths with running hot
water and a toilet in doors. The main thing I have noticed since those days are
that neighbours were so trusting in them days. You could go out for the day and
not lock your door and come home to a letter on the mantel saying just borrowed
some sugar, and everything would be there still, where as today you go out you
have to lock all windows doors and set alarms so you can come home to your house
still furnished, plus the children were safer and happier on the streets.